Christmas Tree Festival Returns

November 9, 2012

NEW BREMEN — The New Bremen Historic Association's Christmas Tree Festival will return for its second year at the Lockkeeper's House next month, and area residents are encouraged to include something special for the display.

New Bremen Historic Association Trustee Diane Paul noted the event included several displays last year.

"We were pleasantly surprised last year," Paul told The Evening Leader, noting more than 30 businesses, organizations and individuals put displays up. "We had a lot more displays than that because some people put up more than one. For the first year, we were really happy with that."

"It could be a normal-sized, six-foot tree or it could be a tabletop tree, last year we had a silver tree," Paul said, noting the display does not need to be a tree. "Last year, we had angel collections, we had nativity scenes, we even had a Christmas goose. It can be any kind of display that you want to put up, maybe something that's been in your family for years and years, something new that you've made. It can be anything that's a tradition in your family or something you'd like to share with the community."

Kids' displays are also welcome in the Christmas Tree Festival.

"We'd love to have kids involved, too," she said. "If kids want to make a tree and decorate it, that would be great."

Anyone is welcome to enter a display and there is no entry fee.

"They'll have to supply a tree if they want to use a tree, but they get to take it back home and use it year after year," Paul said.

Anyone interested in putting up a display needs to notify the New Bremen Historic Association by Thursday, and those putting together a display will have two weeks to set up at the Lockkeeper's House.

"We need to have them (the displays) up by Nov. 30," Paul said. "We'd like to know how many displays we'll have ahead of time so we know how many tables we need, how many big trees we'll have and things like that."

The Christmas Tree Festival will kick off with an open house from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 2 and will also be open during the Rotary Christmas Tree Lighting on Dec. 6. The festival will remain open during chamber hours, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Paul encouraged area residents to spend some time at the Christmas Tree Festival and vote for their favorite display.

"We're going to have bags by each entry and people can put coins in or dollar bills in to vote for their favorite," she said. "We'll give prizes to whoever gets the most votes. Those proceeds will go to the New Bremen Historic Association."

Group visits are also encouraged.

"If someone would like to go through, they should let a (New Bremen Historic Association) member know, and we can take them through, even if the chamber isn't open," Paul said, noting the group previously had organizations and classes tour the festival. "The more people that see it, the better."

For more information or to reserve a space for a display, contact Paul at 419-629-2856 or at rdpaul@nktelco.net or contact Barb Ziegenbusch at 419-629-2623 or at bz222@nktelco.net.